College sees risks in refraction only plan

A response by the College of Optometrists to proposals for dispensing opticians to refract said that eye health was 'too important to take any unnecessary risks'.

The College published a position paper following Optician's report last week that the Association of British Dispensing Opticians envisaged a specialised register of dispensing opticians qualified to refract (News 24.02.12).

'Current safeguards in legislation serve patients well and reduce the economic cost of avoidable blindness,' the College said.

Requirements for optometrists doing sight tests to also examine for injury, disease or abnormality were essential to meet public health outcomes, according to the College paper The Sight Test: Refraction and Examinations of the Eye for the Purpose of Detecting Injury, Disease or Abnormality.